As reported by Sky, an inquest held at Bournemouth Town Hall has heard a statement from Mercedes Taffarel, the mother of former Nantes player Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash in January 2019, following an agreed transfer between the French club and Cardiff.
The coroner Rachel Griffin opened the inquest explaining that “nobody is on trial here. There’s no question of attributing blame. The inquest is simply a way of establishing facts about the death.”
The statement from Sala’s mother was read to the inquest, detailing the emotional impact of the event: “The plane crash changed our lives. It’s the worst thing that could have happened to us. As a family, we did everything we could to find Emi and the pilot. Emi’s loss was a complete shock. All we ask for is justice. We want no stone unturned to find out what happened.”
Mrs Taffarel’s statement also explained the Argentine’s feelings towards his move to the Premier League: “In Nantes, they liked him very much, he was an idol. It’s true to say that Emi was very happy when he accepted the move, although he was a little afraid, he felt it was the right time to move clubs and to another league.”
According to Mrs Taffarel, “the Nantes management also pushed his move because they were going through some financial problems. Cardiff had put a lot of pressure on him to complete the sale.”
Despite Sala’s hesitancy, his mother explained that, “after so many years of effort, he had finally reached one of the most important leagues in the world, where he had always desired to play.”
The inquest also heard that the player had inhaled carbon monoxide prior to his death, the likely source of which being the plane’s engine. The inquest is scheduled to last five weeks.